Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Ten considerations
to support your
workforce
March 2020
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread
across the globe. It has symptoms similar to a cold
or flu — fever, cough and shortness of breath. But its
complications, including pneumonia, respiratory distress
and kidney failure, can prove fatal.
COVID-19: An employer’s guide. Ten considerations to support your workforce. March 2020. 2
1. Employee communication
As the situation changes daily, employers should keep Consistent communication can convey leadership, avoid
up-to-date with the latest developments. Communicate confusion and reduce anxiety.
to your employees what is being done to protect them
and to maintain business continuity. In addition, all 1. Make sure to work cross-functionally. HR, business
employers need a pandemic/crisis management plan. leadership, operations, risk management, occupational
Consider updating it in relation to COVID-19. health, travel and corporate communication need
clearly set responsibilities, by region and business line.
Employee communications can be used to:
2. Make key decisions now. What would trigger
• Highlight current support mechanisms a breakdown in business? When and how to
communicate with employees and customers in
• Reinforce travel restrictions and policies
both “normal business” and “crisis” scenarios?
• P
rovide tips and assistance to facilitate How will employees engage with customers/clients
remote working in both scenarios?
• R
emind employees of hygiene practices 3. Prepare a “normal business” communication plan.
to maintain health Draft communications and agree trigger events for
• S
hare information on current business continuity sending them.
and pandemic response plans
4. Prepare a “crisis” communication plan. Draft
This is a good opportunity to remind employees and communications and agree trigger events for
their managers that employees who are sick with a fever sending them.
should not come to work.
5. Identify key target audiences (business leaders,
managers, location leaders, HR, corporate employees,
field employees, customers/clients, media,
government entities, business partners, suppliers and
families/dependents).
COVID-19: An employer’s guide. Ten considerations to support your workforce. March 2020. 3
2. Support mechanisms
Employers can promote existing support mechanisms Financial wellbeing
to employees and their families. For example,
Financial wellbeing is another area where employees
unnecessary exposure to infection at hospitals and
may need support. The volatility of the financial markets
care centers can be avoided through virtual care.
and the associated falls in asset values are affecting
Telemedicine or digital health are good options for
people’s retirement savings and other investments.
low-level non-epidemic issues.
Given the recent steep equity declines and strong bond
Other alternatives include health education and
performance, many employees (particularly, “do it
evaluation at on-site or near-site clinics, as well as
yourself” investors in defined contribution plans) may be
mental health support through counselling, employee
significantly underweight in equities and overweight in
assistance plans and other interventions. Many
fixed income. Such investors should be encouraged to
organizations are innovating to support their workforce.
maintain a disciplined asset-allocation process through
We’ve seen extra ergonomic benefits for building a
rebalancing if their allocation has changed significantly.
comfortable home-working space, new hospitalization
cash allowances and special caregiving benefits. Although markets could decline further, investors will
find it nearly impossible to catch the low. Recent history
Do your current health and benefit providers (including
shows that market recoveries can be rapid. Rebalancing
insurers) have appropriate messaging about COVID-19?
can help investors position their portfolios to benefit. We
Have your employee health support resources
suggest companies:
(in employer-sponsored plans) been suitably trained?
Are they well prepared to respond to employee 1. Obtain feedback from the organizations that discuss
questions on COVID-19? such issues with participants and employees (record-
keepers, employer-sponsored/recommended advisory
Review your own policies. Do you have the appropriate
or coaching organizations)
level of coverage? A complex medical evacuation may
exceed existing limits. 2. Assess the appropriateness of the messages
to participants
Mental health
Epidemics are historically associated with a rise in 3. Consider whether additional, supplementary
depression and anxiety. Employers have a role in communication may be required
communicating information and providing mental
There is more to explore outside defined contribution
health support for their employees. Educating managers
plans. For example, a reduction in asset values can
and making services available for those affected will help
have an impact on share incentive programs within
to mitigate the impact of the epidemic.
your organization.
COVID-19: An employer’s guide. Ten considerations to support your workforce. March 2020. 4
3. Group medical and risk protection benefits
The stance taken by insurers varies and is likely to to pandemic exclusions, eligibility requirements and
evolve. Employers who sponsor medical, life, disability, unique provisions for quarantine. Our advisors, brokers
accident and special-risk insurance (such as business and consultants can assist and provide guidance on
travel and expatriate coverage) should be familiar with local social security programs.
the terms and conditions in their policies with regard
COVID-19: An employer’s guide. Ten considerations to support your workforce. March 2020. 5
5. Business travel management
Travel presents unique health and business challenges Evacuation may not be feasible. Many major air
during pandemics. Be prepared for travel limitations and ambulance providers will not transport anyone
delays, including long-time quarantines in some areas. suspected of having COVID-19, and several commercial
As COVID-19 expands geographically, business travelers airlines have ceased flying to the impacted countries.
can anticipate more screenings, longer waiting times, Employers should consider adjusting travel policies
potential quarantines and refusal of entry. and restricting travel and business operations in
affected areas.
To limit business disruption and protect their employees,
employers need to be proactive. Employees should be
discouraged from traveling for business to the impacted
regions. Even mild, unrelated injury or illness may be
difficult to treat as the medical infrastructures are likely
to be exhausted.
COVID-19: An employer’s guide. Ten considerations to support your workforce. March 2020. 7
8. Remote, flexible and adaptive working
Mercer has developed a framework to help clients Your responses may need to be recalibrated as the virus
work more flexibly. Our Adaptive Working solution advances or recedes. But in either case, your employees
allows employees and employers to establish whether will need consistent communications throughout. Be
workers need to be physically present at the office to sure to develop communication templates, conversation
complete their work. Our approach is based on a clear guides and resource guides for managers to adjust their
and structured methodology to deliver practical and approaches as the situation changes.
repeatable results — namely, when, where, what, who
by and how work is done. Your managers will also need support. Assure them that
the key to success is to lead with compassion during the
Short-term fixes may be necessary, but lessons from the uncertainty. Displaying empathy will yield far greater
current crisis will help pinpoint and optimize vulnerable impact than any terrain knowledge that might apply.
areas before the next crisis hits — especially with regard
to flexible working and business process digitization.
COVID-19: An employer’s guide. Ten considerations to support your workforce. March 2020. 8
9. Pension and other asset fund volatility
Many companies are concerned about their ability of assets, exacerbated by global deleveraging. That is
to meet their pension commitments in light of the why central banks and governments are considering
recent market volatility. Equally, employees are worried or implementing rate cuts and other fiscal stimuli.
about the impact of market falls on their savings and Given low yields and high debt levels, it is not clear
retirement pots. how effective such stimuli will be.
COVID-19 is a classic “tail risk” event. It may only cause Companies should urgently review their investment
a short-term disruption to global supply chains and strategies and hedging approaches. They should
certain industries. But the impact may be much further also develop plans to either de-risk or re-risk their
reaching. The main concern for company pension plans pension plans as individual circumstances and market
is whether the outbreak leads to large-scale panic selling movements warrant.
COVID-19: An employer’s guide. Ten considerations to support your workforce. March 2020. 9
Resources for employers
World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
www.mercer.com/coronavirus
Please access local health authority websites for relevant health information.
Mercer is not engaged in the practice of law, and the content is not intended as a substitute for legal advice.
Accordingly, you should secure the advice of competent legal counsel with respect to any legal matters
related to this document or the content.
Mercer and its affiliates make no representations whatsoever about any third party website that you may
access through this document. By including links to such websites in this document, Mercer and its affiliates
do not endorse or accept any responsibility for such websites’ content or use or indicate that Mercer or its
affiliates are affiliated in any way with such websites’ owner. Mercer and its affiliates do not investigate,
verify, monitor, or endorse such websites. In addition, the access to such third party websites through this
document does not imply that Mercer and its affiliates are affiliated with or otherwise endorse any third
parties, that Mercer and its affiliates are legally authorized to use any trademark, trade name, logo, or
copyright symbol displayed in or accessible through the links, or that any linked site is authorized to use any
trademark, trade name, logo, or copyright symbol of Mercer or its affiliates.